Is it Worth Reading Hard Books like Gravity's Rainbow?

Apparently today is Thomas Pynchon's birthday, so what better time to ask the question: Are hard to read books like Gravity's Rainbow worth reading? What is the appeal? What do you get out of harder books? We've all heard of these highly lauded but often daunting works: Moby Dick, Ulysses, Gravity's Rainbow etc...Not only are they mentioned for being challenging to read, but also are often considered some of the most important books it literary history. In this episode we dive deep into some of our favorite challenging pieces of literature, as well as discuss why someone might want to (or not want to) spend their time reading them.